It has been a week since the wedding ceremony.
Aleq, the emperor, was the crown prince's big brother. He was good to me while I stayed in the palace. He has a pleasing character that brings comfort to me. He was handsome, a good emperor at that. He looks young on the surface, but he was seven years older than the crown prince. He always looks at me with caring and thoughtful gestures and makes me flush with embarrassment. Unaware, he made me more feminine than I usually are. A rough, loud woman. Nothing feminine about me. With my thick glasses but, amazingly, after just two days being here in this foreign land, I ceased to use the glasses anymore.
After the wedding ritual with the crown prince, I never saw him again. I was left alone in my own private palace. I turned sideways to see his perfect profile, overlooking the vast exterior garden just outside my palace's balcony. I believe he can be such a player in my world. He is suitable to be an actor or some illegible bachelor of some company CEO seeing his charisma in ruling his empire. His smile was mesmerising. Today, he came to visit me at my favourite resting area. It makes me more sorry for him for travelling so far to pay a visit. It makes me curious about many things that I want to know more about, but my fake brother, Jacobs, warns me to shut it.
Did he know what really happened to the real crown princess?
Why did he insist that the princess marry the crown prince and not him, the emperor?
The crown prince doesn't even care who he gets married to. I heard some rumours from those palace maids about how the crown prince actually has a sweetheart he promised to marry.
Should I ask?
"I would like to apologize," I froze at his start. I turned to see his handsome face looking exhausted and direly pale-looking far to the horizon. "I know I am selfish to force the marriage to you, youngsters."
"Your Majesty."I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth. 'Damn right you are.' "Maybe if I know the reason for that, I might try to understand your reason for this loveless union."
He bowed down in defeat. Unable to look into my eyes. I can see his long eyelashes trembling as he closed his eyes. "In time. In time, you will know. For now, I really want you to stand by him when the times come."
"But..."
He shook his head, refusing to listen to my protest."Will you promise to me to be at his side at all times; whenever or whatever happens, you will stay by his side." His sudden and fast move surprise left me speechless. He grabbed hold of my shoulders, lightly shook me, staring seriously at me as he spoke. "Don't worry. As for her, he can only bring her as a queen."
"What?!" my voice barely audible as I cover my mouth in shock. So it was not an empty rumour.
After that last visit, emperor Aleq never came to visit. Something about his last visit might be the cause of this. He looks worried that day too. I overheard from the palace maid that several kings came in for an official visit. Some say it was an emergency visit. The main palace has turned upside down with the current state. I stand on the side of the corridor, watching them hurriedly move all around the place to get the work done.
Brother Jacobs came to pay his visit once a week, asking how I was faring or needed anything outside the palace. I wish for good news from the awakening of Lady Coriane, but no. He shook his head with a painful expression. She is still in the same condition as the last time I saw her. The last development happened a few days before the wedding with Ephraim.
The last encounter with lady Coriane still left me trembling every time I thought about her till today. Why wouldn't I? I thought I was staring at myself lying down there, pale-looking and grimacing in pain.
What happened to her?
Some say she ran away from the mansion, refuse to be married. Only to be found later after a year in a delirious state by one of the good Samaritans that know Duke Hamdel's family well. A week later, she fell into a coma. Two months later, I was caught believing I was trying to escape. Again.
Well, history has written it as a common occurrence throughout the centuries of human civilization. Not only in this era. Loveless marriage between nobles.
Another dark theory goes as she makes a deal with the devil. Kirai's story about the Knud people worries me. It is more or less a zombie in my world.
What a blockhead can she be?
But here I am. The real blockhead. Replacing your place to marry that crown prince. Are you the one that calls me here, Coriane? I wonder if this Duke Hamdel is my ancestor.
"Your Highness!"
A loud voice bellowing above me had me shaken into realisation. I blinked several times, trying to get back into the reality of the world I'm in. "Don't shout. Are you trying to bite my ear off?" I rubbed my ringing ear. "I heard you the first time you called me."
"I apologize, your highness." I look into the mirror's reflection watching Lady Mari's comical regret looks, making me smile inwardly.
I heaved a satisfied sigh at my own reflection. I gave a slight turn to the right view and turns to the left view. I will never get used to my new smooth, fair skin with makeup on. Every day, I always question myself if this is really me. Raine Hwang.
I was satisfied with the result of the morning make-up and decided not to scold her early in the morning and ruin my good morning. Ah Ma always says that being able to wake up in the morning alive is a blessing. Never start a day with a fight, or the negative vibe will definitely ruin your mood and business. The rude young maid already ruined my mood, and right now, I am in a mess. I don't know what to do anymore. My heartfelt goes out to that man I once knew in the dream. I believe he only needs time to organise his feelings, and once he knows who I am, I'm sure he will come back to me. But, deep down, the certain fear of rejection is so heavy that it makes me uneasy about continuing my plan to pursue him.
Suddenly, I felt the rush of stress and stuffiness that very moment that I wanted to release the stress inside my chest with a long run on the field or stepping onto the treadmill and running until I was deadly exhausted.
"I will be heading to the garden now. No need to bother me until I call out for you." I gave instructions to the palace maids. They bowed slightly in response and left. Lady Mari followed closely behind. I can't be bothered with her following me anymore as I felt so empty staying in the west palace alone after Kirai left.
It has been a month since I found this hidden, wonderful and mysterious massive garden while wandering through the west wing palace. Far into the garden, there was a huge and taller tree than the palace itself. It reminds me of Willows, the tree spirit back at the Grand Temple. But this tree is much taller than Willow, and with many strands of twigs hanging down, it makes it look like random curtains raining down warm and welcoming. There were not many flower bushes surround the garden like the one at the Grand temple, but they took care of it well. For the first time, being in the garden with only the tree makes me calm and settled.
Out of excitement, I suggested having a small picnic under the tree. Only to get an impossible look from them while looking disgusted with the uneven exposed roots of the tree, making it impossible to even place a teapot on the ground without worry of spilling the tea off. They have their point, but I wasn't ready to let go of the tree without a fight.
I urged them to return to the royal kitchen and prepare a simple breakfast meal with a tablecloth to bring to the garden while I tried my way to the tree as Kirai has taught me how to coax 'it' into submission. The rest was history.
Ara. That was his name.
'Ara, I'm here to visit you.' I called out to him subconsciously.
'Mundane girl.'
Argh! That annoying name again. 'I don't wish to fight you today. Just let me rest here.' I climbed up to the swing made from his hanging twigs.
'What's wrong?'
'Don't ask, please.' I wrapped my knees together and leaned to the back. Slowly the swing starts to swing by itself, leaving me alone.
Three days later, Ephraim, the crown prince, looked agitated when he went to see me in my residence.
"Why are you here?" I directly asked him as I stirred my favourite flower tea that I have come to love after the first taste at the Grand temple.
"Can't I visit my own consort?"
I smirked at his comment. He turned away in flushes. He never meant what he was talking about. Such a waste of resources. This crown prince has everything a man should have. A handsome face like a Korean idol, power, wealth in his hands, but he acts as if the world is against the love of his life. I never understood his taste in women to be so bad, but rumour has it that he once lived with a Count with a little lady when he was sent outside the palace to live his life as a commoner.